A planned multimillion-dollar fish cannery for Portland, Australia is possibly less than 12 months away from reality with the project's proponent still evaluating products and costs.
Australian Fishing Enterprises principal Sam Sarin confirmed late last week from his Port Lincoln base that evaluation work for the project was still in progress. "We definitely will be doing something in Portland, but we are still looking at a range of issues, including where and which products to source," he said.
AFE purchased the former Glenelg Shire Council works depot in Portland at Fitzgerald Street last year for $600,000.
Sarin said an announcement on the project would happen this financial year, although he gave no indications of a time frame within that period.
The Port Lincoln-based company already has a presence in Portland on a site adjacent to the former works depot. Sarin's confirmation the project was still being worked on was warmly welcomed by the shire council.
Shire economic development manager Garry Purton said council had been in regular contact with the company since last year.
"I think that when a person like Sam Sarin says something will happen, it most probably will come to fruition," he said. "The investment will be welcome in Portland." Sarin is one of four businessmen in Port Lincoln listed in BRW's Rich 200, and has been one of the pivotal achievers in the South Australian tuna city's recent rapid development.
No details are available on job creation figures when the planned project comes to fruition, however, reports from August last year suggested a state-of-the-art cannery would directly employ 140 process workers.
The Fitzgerald Sreet works depot had been on the market for more than five years before the council sold it to AFE in late August-early September last year.